Page 6 of Marry Me in Rome

She sobered. “Look, Kennedy told me about all your boyfriends. Not a single one lasted longer than a month. She thinks you have commitment issues.”

“She’s one to talk,” I shot back. “It took me years to get her and Hunter together.”

“And now it’s your turn. Your own romance. Ooh,” she said, throwing an arm around me and giving me an awkward squeeze. “Your ownRome-ance.”

“You and Matteo should start a comedy club,” I said dryly. “With a routine built entirely of Dad jokes.”

“He isn’t my type.” She glanced over at Matteo. “Besides, it isn’t me he keeps staring at. Look at him! He isn’t even subtle.”

I followed her gaze and found him sneaking a look in our direction. Normally I’d play coy and pretend I hadn’t noticed, but this time I let my eyes bore into his.

Let him see that I saw. Let him be the first to look away.

But he didn’t.

In fact, he made no attempt to hide the open challenge I’d first detected in his eyes at the restaurant. He thought he knew me, but I absolutely knew his type. Bold, used to winning, but reserved. Hard to get.

Matteo’s smile widened. It wasn’t a wicked smile, but a knowing one that disarmed my defenses as surely a knight yanking a spear from my hands. Unfair, how he did all that with a single look.

I tore my gaze away, lifted my chin, and turned back to Alexis. “I don’t care if he’s interested, because I’m certainly not.”

“Mm-hmm.” To her credit, she didn’t roll her eyes, though I detected nothing but doubt in her voice.

A thirty-minute walk later,the entirety of which I completely ignored Matteo, I found myself inside a church in front of the most bizarre rock I’d ever seen—round and flat, like a giant stone coin. Most notably, it had . . . a face? Yes, complete with eyes and a gaping mouth shaped like a large mail slot above lines that must have served as a messy beard. It looked like an ugly giant had shoved his face into wet cement and then pulled it out, leaving behind a permanent expression of surprise. Dante whimpered and positioned himself behind Matteo’s legs.

I knew what this was. I’d seen it.

“La Bocca della Verità,” Matteo said. “Mouth of Truth. Legend says that you can’t lie while standing at his face. If you do and then slide your hand into his mouth, he’ll bite it off. They used it during trials of infidelity for centuries.”

Alexis folded her arms, her mouth twisted in distaste. “Ew. Do you know how many hands have been in there?”

“Time for our first question,” Matteo continued. “Answer truthfully, Jillian, if you want to keep your hand.”

It was all I could do to keep from rolling my eyes.“Too scared to go first?”

“Not at all. Here’s your question. Have you ever been in love?”

I barked a laugh. Alexis wasn’t kidding. The guy was anything but subtle. “Really?”

“It’s like high school all over again,” Alexis groaned.

Matteo simply stood there, waiting.

If I answered yes, he’d pry into my love life, which was none of his business. In fact, if he concocted this entire venture for that purpose, he’d be sorely disappointed in my answer.

“Nope, you first,” I said. “Haveyouever been in love?”

He shook his head. “You can’t repeat the same question.”

“Sure I can.”

He looked at Alexis, who shrugged. “No, I’ve never been in love.” He slipped his hand into the slot as far as it would go, left it for a couple of seconds, and pulled it out.

Liar. The guy had to be approaching thirty. With a face and neck and um, shoulders and everything else that came together so well? He probably left a string of broken hearts across this city.

“Your turn.” He looked so serious, like he truly wanted my answer. But if he really knew me, he’d know I didn’t do serious. My family had enough serious for a small country. Besides, I was on vacation.

An idea struck me on how to lighten things up. Hopefully Alexis would play along.

---